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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572335">Falling</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight'>NotEvenCloseToStraight</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Short Stories! [61]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftercare, Alternate Universe-- Dom/sub, Artist Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Feels, Developing Relationship, Dom Bucky Barnes, Dom Steve Rogers, Falling In Love, Hurt Tony Stark, M/M, Polyamory, Pre-Relationship, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sub Tony Stark, Subdrop, Subspace, Tony Stark Goes into the Wormhole, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, established stucky, stuckony - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:08:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,495</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572335</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotEvenCloseToStraight/pseuds/NotEvenCloseToStraight</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>New York City, 2012, and Tony Stark is flying a bomb right through a wormhole, right through the portal, right into a different dimension and a whole other universe. </p><p>He opens his eyes in a completely different world, one with all the things he could never admit he wanted-- acceptance and desire and submission. </p><p>In this place on the other side of reality, Tony learns everything begins with falling– falling through space, through time, falling in love, and falling onto his knees. <br/>*****</p><p>“Holy hell, you’re about the prettiest sub I’ve ever seen.” Bucky whispered and Steve rumbled in agreement. “Just gorgeous, sweet thing. Look how soft you are for Stevie, I love that. Good boy, you’re doing wonderful.” </p><p>The praise was balm to Tony’s battered heart, and his last thought before letting go was about heaven, about soft lights and quiet music and strong arms. </p><p>Heaven, because his brain could snap into gear later and he could make up for lost time then. </p><p>Heaven, because lips brushed over his temple and a deep voice crooned, “You’re such a good sub, sweetheart.” and it was the best thing Tony had ever heard in his life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Short Stories! [61]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/786345</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>162</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fics that make my heart go OOF with fluff</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A commission for @xkissmeimirishx who wanted Tony going through the wormhole above NY and right into an D/s reality. </p><p>Generic TW for expected “into the wormhole” mentions of death/dying and panic attacks. </p><p>This has definitely ruined my life by introducing me to an AU I desperately need to write 100k worth of development for so be prepared for additional chapters of this in the future because 15k words just barely scratched the surface of where this verse could go!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was weird, the way something as final as dying could seem as easy as letting go, as taking another breath, as closing your eyes and letting yourself fall.<b><br/></b></p><p><em>Easy</em>.</p><p>But then again, death was the opposite of life and life was sort of unfairly hard so maybe it was intended balance that made dying so so easy.</p><p>Letting go. Taking another breath. Closing your eyes and <em>falling</em>—</p><p>— Tony used to love falling. He used to love the exhilaration and anticipation, the way his breath stuttered in that split second of <em>flying </em>before gravity took over. He used to love falling into a new habit, falling into a new love, just falling when he jumped from the diving board or the airplane or the rocks he’d climbed on as a child that he thought were so big and then realized as an adult they were merely stepping stones.</p><p>Tony used to love falling but that was before he fell from the rocks and skinned his knee and Howard yelled at him for being clumsy. Tony used to love falling but that was before he’d fallen in love and they’d laughed at his vulnerability and submission and teased that they’d expected different from a <em>Stark</em>. </p><p>Tony used to love falling, but that was before Afghanistan and Obadiah, before arc reactors that felt like gravity in his chest, before the suit shut down and he was staring at aliens through a wormhole that just days before had seemed impossible.</p><p>Tony used to love falling, but as his eyes opened wide to the horrors of another universe and JARVIS faded out and the wormhole started closing beneath him, all he could think about was how badly he needed someone to<em> catch him.</em></p><p>But it was okay. Because falling was easy. And death would be easy. </p><p>All Tony had to do was close his eyes…</p><p>…<b>Gravity</b>.</p><p>It sank like a rock into Tony’s stomach, made his chest seize up and his lungs constrict and <em>help help help</em> it felt like he was suffocating, pinned under a ton of rock and drowning beneath the ocean and he couldn’t <em>breathe</em>.</p><p><em>Dimly</em>. Voices around him and sunshine on his face and a dog barking in circles close by but Tony couldn’t open his eyes far enough to see. Electricity was shocking through his veins to his heart, itching under his skin and behind his temples and his head was pounding and it <em>hurt</em>. </p><p>“Hey hey, you’re okay.” someone whispered. “Come down right here like this, on your knees beauty, that will make it feel better.” </p><p>Never once had being on his knees made anything feel <em>better </em>and everything in Tony’s core revolted at the thought. He jerked forward and heaved, pitched forward and met prickly grass beneath his palms, dragged in a breath that didn’t seem to touch his lungs and vomited <em>fear </em>out onto the ground. </p><p>“Aw hell, he’s in a real bad way. No collar?” </p><p>Fingers at his throat and Tony’s mind flashed– rolled– gave in sluggishly to a blurry picture of Obadiah looming over him, the click of a terrifying device and the horrifying <em>pull </em>at his heart as the reactor had come loose. </p><p>“Babydoll, can you tell us your name?” </p><p>“T–Tony.” Something wet at his face like a wipe and Tony tasted blood and defiance, a too familiar voice telling him to <em>settle </em>and Tony suddenly remembered the disappointment on his hero’s face, the way the Captain had looked him over and then looked away like he was <em>nothing </em>and he flinched but then same familiar voice crooned “Easy darlin’, just settle, my name’s Steve and I’m going to help you.” </p><p>“Tony. My name’s Bucky, can I hold you? Help you through this real quick?” A different voice pitched low and coaxing, strong fingers in his hair and Tony thought he threw up all over again when <em>Obadiah </em>and that paralysis machine and the violation of heart and soul and body came roaring back to his mind. </p><p>“No.” he gasped, and the fingers let go. “<em>No</em>.” he said again and this time the world stopped spinning just a little bit, the input cleared enough for Tony to see the grass in his hands and the clear sky above him and two pairs of worried blue eyes in front and he opened his mouth to ask, “Who–?” </p><p>But then <em>gravity </em>kicked in and he was falling again, down and down and sinking and he was cold and he was shaking and it was like the night he’d discovered the icing problem– heart stopping fear and being trapped in what had made him so free just a moment ago, and the knowing he’d never escape this life and that it would eventually kill him–</p><p><em>Gravity</em>, and Tony was falling. </p><p>Through the wormhole, through the sky, into the Earth and into the ocean, and there was no one to catch him. </p><p>“We’ve got you, sugar.” </p><p>“Hold on, sweetheart, we’ll take you home.” </p><p>“Pretty sub, don’t worry, you’re safe. You’re safe. Not gonna let anything get you.” </p><p>“You’re dropping, honey. Stop fighting it and let go, we’ll catch you. Let go. If you fight it, it’s only worse. Come on. You can trust us.” </p><p>“Trust us.” </p><p>“Let go.” </p><p>
  <em>Let go. </em>
</p><p>Tony let go, let himself fall, and when strong hands caught him, all he could think about was how good it felt to finally be <em>held</em>. </p><p>***************</p><p>***************</p><p>He woke up suddenly, breaking free of a dreamless sleep and right into consciousness with a gasping breath and the sort of headache that usually only came after weekend of binge drinking. </p><p>Pepper would be <em>pissed</em>. </p><p>“Ow.” Tony whispered and dug the heel of his palm into his eyes until sparks popped behind them and forced his brain back online– <em>click click click</em>– cataloging information and putting together a timeline of what had happened and where he might be. </p><p>New York, aliens, wormhole. Darkness and JARVIS shutting down and dying. Sunshine and gravity and voices. Sick and hurt and <em>strangling </em>as he tried to breathe. Letting go and falling and– and somebody catching him. </p><p>There was a glass of water, a bottle of lemon lime Gatorade and a couple of ibuprofen on the bedside table and Tony automatically drank the water, popped the pills, then cracked the lid on the Gatorade and sipped slowly at it as he stared around the room. </p><p>The bed was small but the mattress was very high, a sure sign of the newer models which was a good thing since waking up in a strange bed was weird enough, waking up in on old bed would somehow be <em>worse</em>. The shades on the window were automatic and clearly expensive, though the clock on the wall looked like something out of the forties. Blankets were over clean and over fresh, so either just recently laundered or laundered and then folded away as a spare so this room must not be used very often. </p><p>Spare room meant a bigger apartment and maybe no kids, no carpet just nice flooring so maybe someone <em>single </em>who didn’t need the odd comfort thick carpet afforded or a couple who preferred less upkeep and cleaning. A folded up art easel in the corner along with a well used apron and rolled plastic sheet so–ah, definitely a spare bedroom, definitely not for kids. An artist then, which meant the window most likely faced East to get the most sunlight for painting which meant Tony could probably see the Tower from right here but hopefully not the wormhole cos please <em>God </em>tell him Natasha had closed the damn thing. </p><p>His suit had probably dismantled on the way down, but since he was alive it was more likely JARVIS had come back on line just long enough to slow his descent and let the suit take the brunt of the fall before peeling off around him. That would explain why he’d thrown up so many times, why he hurt all over, why his mind felt like scrambled eggs. </p><p>Falling and getting all banged up in the suit– made sense. </p><p>Tony would just ask the people that found him and carried him in from wherever he’d fallen to take him back towards the Tower. Should be easy, he was Tony Stark, Iron Man. Recognizable and thankfully pretty well liked among the masses and if anyone doubted he could always show them the arc reactor–</p><p>–that wasn’t in his chest,<em> holy shit the arc reactor wasn’t in his chest</em> and Tony’s hand pressed against nothing more than scarred skin beneath his t-shirt. </p><p><em>What</em>? </p><p>His arc reactor wasn’t there and that more than anything sent a bolt of panic through Tony’s heart, through his mind, startling him into action so he could fling himself off the bed and out of the room, bumping into walls as he tried to find a bathroom and <em>there</em>, he just had to figure out how to work the doorknob with suddenly sweaty hands and push past the panic crawling up his throat so he could get to a mirror and see what the hell had happened.</p><p>“Oh heya babydoll!” Very big and very Brooklyn and very <em>shirtless </em>was standing in front the bathroom mirror, one hand poised to shave away some morning scruff and the other– well, the other one was <em>no where</em> because the man only had one arm and Tony kept staring at his face because he knew that <em>face</em>.</p><p><em>1945. Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, best friend to Captain America. Fell off a train and everyone had searched, Howard had searched just like he’d searched for Captain for years but no one had ever found him. </em> </p><p>Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky <em>freaking </em>Barnes. </p><p>“B–Bucky?” he asked slowly, incredulously, and a smile he’d only ever seen in old footage from the Smithsonian’s Howling Commandos Exhibit beamed back at him. “You’re Bucky?” </p><p>“Glad you remember that.” Bucky tapped his razor on the sink and finished up a few passes at his chin. “You were so out of it at the park, me and Stevie didn’t know how much you were processing. Can you tell me your name?” </p><p>“…Tony.” </p><p>“Good good, that’s what you told us.” he patted his face dry then turned and reached for Tony’s chin, turning his face both ways to check his eyes. “You feeling better?”  </p><p>“Y-yes?” There was a tingle in the back of Tony’s mind that whispered <em>submit </em>when Bucky brushed a careful thumb over his cheek and that– that was embarrassing. </p><p>There’d been a time when Tony had thought about submission, hell there’s been a time when he <em>craved </em>it, but while he was in a stranger’s home and obviously concussed because he was hallucinating long dead soldiers from his dad’s days with SHIELD– well that was not the time. Not the time at all.  </p><p>He wasn’t about to get subby and ridiculous over a pair of blue eyes and sort of unfair muscles and a striking resemblance to a war hero. </p><p>Nope. Nope. Not today. Not when there were aliens to clean up and a couple of spies to deal with and Pepper to try and talk out of furious hysterics and a Hulk and a demi-god and a super soldier– </p><p>“Tony!” </p><p>Tony would know <em>that </em>voice anywhere, even if it sounded less disapproving than last time, even if it almost sounded happy to see him. He would know that voice anywhere, and he flinched away from it, recoiled from a set of big hands reaching for him and the newcomer stopped a few feet away, mouth open and eyes hurt, hands up in surrender. </p><p>“No no, it’s alright babydoll.” Bucky wrapped his arm around Tony and hushed him. “No harm, Stevie maybe just move a little slower. I think he’s having a hard time coming out of his drop.” </p><p>“Oh hey, I’m sorry.” the blond offered with a quick smile. “Didn’t mean to rush you, Tony. It’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you, alright? I shouldn’t have raised my voice or came towards you so quickly. Sorry. Do you remember me?” </p><p>“S-Steve.” Tony stammered in disbelief, because it was right but it wasn’t right, this was a hell of a hallucination <em>holy shit</em>. “Steve?” </p><p>“Yeah, yeah that’s right. I’m Steve.” He moved slower this time, reaching out to cup Tony’s chin just like Bucky had done. “How are you feeling?” </p><p>“I–” Tony had to physically quell the urge to lean into Steve’s palm, to close his eyes and sigh at the gentle touch. It was a stupid reaction and a ridiculous thing to want so Tony leaned back entirely, even stepped away from Bucky and shook his head. “I’m fine, thanks.” </p><p>Bucky let him go without comment, but something like <em>hurt </em>flashed through Steve’s eyes again and Tony didn’t understand that at all. </p><p>“You need to take a shower, don’t you?” the big brunette decided and Tony actually had to clamp his mouth shut so he wouldn’t blurt <em>yes sir </em>in response to the question that had sounded more like an order. “You’ll call us if you need us, just shout and we’ll come running.” </p><p>“If you want one of us to stand in there too, that’s fine.” Steve spoke up and Tony swiveled with wide eyes towards him. “Coming out of a drop like this is brutal, a Dom’s presence would help. Either one of us are willing to be in there with you.” </p><p>Steve said it all like it was perfectly acceptable for him or Bucky to watch Tony shower, to share hot water with a stranger. And what did he mean a drop, what the hell was a <em>drop </em>and why did he call himself a Dom and-</p><p>“Easy easy, you’re fading again.” A solid hand at the back of his neck and Tony’s knees buckled under the weight. “We’ve got you.” A steadying grip at his waist, another lower on his hip to keep him from hitting the bathroom floor. “Oaky. You’re not ready for a shower.” </p><p>
  <em>I’m not ready for a shower. </em>
</p><p>“I’m going to take you to the living room.” It was Bucky in his ear, soft and almost a drawl, an edge of Brooklyn accent coming through in a way that made Tony half hysterical, half thrilled. “Stevie, go and get one of our weighted blankets and the cloud pillow.” </p><p>“Yeah, Buck.” Steve moved on without another word, no hesitation in his step as he went to get what Bucky had asked for and Tony had only a moment to think how odd it was for the <em>Captain </em>to follow orders before Bucky was gently but firmly walking him out of the bathroom and towards a couch in the living room, lightly but purposefully directing him to sit, and clearly but kindly telling him, </p><p>“You need to sit, you need to breathe. Stay put.” </p><p>“Yep.” Tony nodded a few times and gripped hard at the couch to try and ground himself when Bucky’s hand left his side and he ended up feeling… feeling empty. “Yeah, I’ll– I’ll just stay here.” </p><p>It was sort of a relief to be told what to do, to have something that Tony didn’t have to think about because right now he was thinking about <em>everything</em>. Bucky had told him to sit so Tony would sit. Steve showed back up with a weighted blanket in the calmest shade of blue Tony had ever seen and when the blond ordered, “Relax.” Tony simply…simply relaxed. </p><p>Not thinking, just obeying and it was a <em>relief</em>. </p><p>It was a relief like falling was a relief, but falling wasn’t safe anymore so Tony pulled himself back from that particular edge and held on to the couch tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. </p><p>Not falling. Just obeying. Breathing and watching because even with the odd urge of <em>submit </em>lingering around the edges of his thought patterns, Tony couldn’t turn his brain off. </p><p>There was too much to know, too much to wonder, and too much to see. </p><p>Bucky moved like a man meant to be obeyed, a man used to barking orders and having them carried out without question and Steve looked like he would follow every one of those orders right off the side of a cliff if that’s what Bucky wanted. </p><p>And that didn’t seem right, because Tony knew the stories about Captain America and Sergeant Barnes, he’d seen the war time footage and the way Steve had snapped his fingers and Bucky had run to his side, the way they were always ‘Captain and his second in command’, ‘Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes’, ‘hero and sidekick’. </p><p>It didn’t seem right but there was something <em>very </em>right about the way Steve was every inch as big and powerful as he’d been facing down Loki in Germany and still somehow so soft around the edges when Bucky spoke. There’d been rumours about how close Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes really were back in the day, but seeing it for himself– or seeing a <em>hallucination </em>of it for himself– or a time travel flash back? Where the hell was he anyway?– seeing it for himself was almost <em>devastating</em>. </p><p>Steve orbited Bucky like a planet around the sun, Bucky looked up and smiled when Steve handed him a bottle of water and the blond might as well have hung the stars, they moved in close tandem and perfect rhythm and when Bucky caught Steve in close for a kiss, they fit together like two halves of a whole. </p><p>…and <em>gravity </em>ripped a jagged tear through Tony’s soul, wide enough to let the lonely rush through and wrap through his heart and suddenly all he could think about was <em>Pepper </em>and the way she’d kissed him goodbye like he was already gone as he’d flown off to join the Avengers. And Rhodey who had begged him to call just <em>once </em>before doing something stupid. And his Mama who would be proud of him and his Dad who hadn’t smiled even when he graduated college and <em>oh fuck he was lonely, he was lonely–</em></p><p>Tony didn’t mean to whimper out loud, it was a thoroughly embarrassing noise and if there was any thing remotely normal about this day or this situation he would have coughed it off and made some glib comment and then poured himself a fucking <em>drink </em>to drown it all. </p><p>But there wasn’t anything remotely normal about anything, and Tony didn’t have a drink or the presence of mind to ask for one from the Sergeant and the Captain that were somehow not the men they were supposed to be but still two people that felt familiar down to Tony’s very <em>bones. </em></p><p>They felt familiar and they felt right and he wanted to fall to his knees and cry but instead he just whimpered and two pairs of beautiful blue eyes snapped rough to look at him. </p><p>“Tony?” </p><p><em>Submit </em>and this time Tony didn’t ignore it and he slid off the couch to his knees, bit off a sob as the loneliness turned suffocating and it was just like earlier when he couldn’t breathe and he was drowning and he was blurring and he was—</p><p>“We’re here.” It was Steve who came close first this time, looming tall over Tony and then meeting him there on his knees, gentle fingers up his neck and lightly at his cheek and Tony gasped out loud and grabbed at the blond’s wrist because he couldn’t stay there un- tethered, floating in uncertainty and fear. </p><p>“Oh sweetheart.” Steve sort of… sort of made a <em>rumbling </em>noise and it was instantly the most comforting sound in the world so Tony finally gave into the need to lean into Steve’s palm and rest his head.</p><p>“That’s good, beauty.” Steve whispered and something unlocked deep in Tony’s heart. “That’s good, you are so so good. So beautiful when you’re soft like this. I’ve got you. I can hold you when you’re down, I’m here.” </p><p>An arm at Tony’s waist and he was pulled in gently gently until his nose notched at the hollow of Steve’s throat and he whimpered all over again when he was surrounded by warmth and steadiness and could feel Steve’s heart beneath his hands where he was clutching tight to the button up shirt. </p><p>“You’re so good.” came the whispered reassurance and Tony couldn’t remember the last time he’d heard those words, which meant this was definitely a Grade A hallucination, which meant he was either lost in some effect of the wormhole or lying comatose in a hospital bed after falling back to Earth but either way it was fine. It was fine because for the first time in his life Tony felt loose and pliant and safe, grounded and surrounded and held and it was fine and it was fine and his mind was spinning–</p><p>“Settle.” An order from Sergeant Barnes– from Bucky. “Sugar, I can see how hard you’re thinkin’ from right here. Settle down and breathe.” </p><p>Tony <em>breathed</em>, sharp inhale and a shaky exhale that left him drained and the second he obeyed another arm wound tight around him to hold him close.  </p><p>“Holy hell, you’re about the prettiest sub I’ve ever seen.” Bucky murmured on his other side and Steve rumbled something in agreement. “Just gorgeous, sweet thing. Look how soft you are for Stevie, I love that. Good boy. Sweet boy, you’re doing <em>wonderful</em>.” </p><p>The praise was like balm to Tony’s battered heart, and his last thought before letting go and slipping towards darkness was about heaven, about soft lights and quiet music and none of the noise that clamored in his head all the time. </p><p><em>Heaven</em>, because his brain could snap back into gear later and he could figure it all out later and make up for lost time <em>later</em>. </p><p><em>Heaven</em>, because lips brushed over his temples and a deep voice crooned, “You’re such a good sub, sweetheart.” and it was the best thing Tony had ever heard in his life. </p><p><em>Heaven</em>. </p><p>**************</p><p>**************</p><p>“He doesn’t have a collar, Buck.” Steve twisted the heavy ring around his finger anxiously, rubbing his thumb over the raised symbol that marked him as <em>Dominant</em>, the pale aquamarine in the center that marked him as <em>Bucky’s</em>. “There isn’t very many reasons why a sub would be dropping in the middle of the park without a collar on.” </p><p>“Only two by my count.” Bucky took a long drink of his beer and didn’t take his eyes off Steve, checking the other Dom’s posture, the stress lines between Steve’s eyebrows, the muscle jumping in his jaw as the blond ground his teeth together. “He’s recently out of a bad break up and left his <em>claimed </em>collar behind without purchasing a white neutral one, emotions are running high and something set him off so he slid.” </p><p>“Or?” Steve asked tersely, knowing damn well what else Bucky would say. </p><p>“<em>Or </em>his collar was removed during a scene that got outta control.” Bucky grimaced, flexing his fingers to show off the Dominant ring on his right hand. “He ran, didn’t come outta the scene properly and dropped right there in public.” </p><p>“Neither of those scenarios are good ones.” </p><p>“Nope.” Steve kept twisting his ring and Bucky kept watching. “He’s not a switch, Stevie, not with the way he went down.” </p><p>“Nope.” the other Dom echoed. “Not a switch. Did you see how he looked when I held him?” </p><p>“The way he curled into you all sweet like that?” Bucky shook his head. “Yeah baby I saw it. Definitely a sub, definitely got into something he couldn’t handle and ended up fuckin’ vulnerable in the middle of the street. It’s a good thing you saw him when you did.” </p><p>“It was like something called me over there.” Steve confessed quietly. “Like the way it felt when you and I figured out we were in love. Called me right to him like he had been dropped there <em>waiting </em>for us.” </p><p>Bucky stayed quiet a minute, brows raised and his partner finished, “Don’t like that he jerked away from me that first time though, what do you think that was about?” </p><p>“Lotsa subs pull away from strange Doms, Stevie.” Bucky reminded him. “Maybe you look like his ex and that far into a drop he couldn’t separate you two. He cuddled right up a minute later though, right? Settled in all sweet against your heart?” </p><p>“Yeah.” a reluctant smile pulled at Steve’s mouth. “Yeah, he sure did. Never held anyone half as sweet as him, Buck.” </p><p>“Well I’m the only one you’ve held since we were fuckin’ kids.” Bucky grinned and kicked out at the other Dom. “You sayin’ I’m not sweet?” </p><p>“I’m saying when it comes time for one of us to be real pretty on our knees, it’s never <em>you</em>.” Steve corrected, and when Bucky’s eyes lit like pale lightning, the blond swallowed back a hungry jolt and whispered, “And I know you think I’m pretty when I go down for you too, Buck. But there’s somethin’ special about the way Tony is like that with us. We’ve never even taken him down, not proper, not yet. But just bringing him through that drop….” </p><p>His voice trailed off and Bucky shifted forward in his seat, propped his chin up his hand and warned, “He could be somebody’s sub, Stevie. Be careful.” </p><p>“He could be <em>our </em>sub.” </p><p>“The reasons why he’s not wearing a submissive’s collar could be pretty fucked up, babydoll. We don’t know what sorta baggage he’s got.” </p><p>“Yeah, or he might be a sub that refuses to even wear a neutral white one.” Steve countered. “Some subs don’t wear a collar until they find a Dom they’d be proud to claim as their own.” </p><p>“Stevie–” </p><p>“Tell me you don’t look at him and want him right here.” Steve tapped at his chest a few times. “Right here, Bucky. The way you wanted me, remember?” </p><p>“You think I don’t remember th’day I got to call you mine?” Just to remind his love, Bucky lifted one heavy foot and thumped it down, inclined his head towards the floor and just like Steve did every time his Dominant <em>wanted</em>, he went to his knees between Bucky’s spread thighs and let his body roll lax and submissive.</p><p>“Fuck me runnin’, you’re gorgeous.” Bucky muttered roughly, winding thick fingers into Steve’s hair so he could direct a searing, <em>claiming </em>kiss. “I love you.” </p><p>“I love you too.” Steve was every inch a Dominant in every moment but <em>this</em>, and he melted beneath Bucky’s lips, trusting and whole heartedly belonging to the man he adored. “Bucky, just tell me–” </p><p>“Tony is a submissive desperate to be held.” Bucky interrupted, tugging on the blond strands until Steve’s head fell back obediently. “And I’m pretty fuckin’ desperate to hold him. We’re gonna take it one day at a time, one moment at a time and if Tony wants to stay then he has a place to stay.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” Steve nodded. </p><p>“If Tony <em>doesn’t </em>want to stay, he doesn’t have to.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” </p><p>“You want him?” </p><p>“I– I think I need him.” </p><p>“Okay then.” Another kiss, soft and sweet and achingly tender. “If you need him, I need him too. Call Clint and tell him we’re not hanging out tonight. Tell him we’re busy. I’m going to order food, we’ll wake Tony up again and then we will eat together.” </p><p>“Yes sir.”</p><p>“Stevie?” Bucky waited until those gorgeous blue eyes met his. “Get up off your knees and kiss me like a <em>Dom</em>, sweetheart.” </p><p>“Mmm, <em>my pleasure</em>.” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“My arc reactor is gone, but I have the scars from Afghanistan.” Tony said the words slowly, clearly into the quiet of his guest bedroom as the sun came up the next morning. “I still look the same age, I still have the gray hair, I still have the bruises from trying to deal with Cap and Thor in the woods the other day. I have all my memories, including the ones I’d rather not, I still know all the words to <em>Back in Black</em> and <em>Shoot to Thrill</em>. I don’t have an arc reactor but that doesn’t mean I’m not me, I’m still <em>me</em>.” </p><p>“It’s been at least thirty six hours since the wormhole.” he said next, running through the numbers in his head again, counting out the hours on his fingers just to have something solid to make note of. “Thirty six hours because Bucky and Steve who definitely <em>aren’t </em>Captain America and a resurrected Sergeant Barnes found me in the later afternoon, then I slept through the night and most of yesterday, then spaced out again and slept all night.” </p><p>‘Spaced out’ wasn’t the right word though, the right word was <em>dropped </em>and that sounded like <em>sub-drop</em> and that sounded like what used to happen the few times Tony had gone to that club downtown and had the sheer misfortune of ending up with a shitty Dom that left him <em>vulnerable </em>after a scene. </p><p>The right word was <em>dropped</em>, and Steve and Bucky had helped Tony through it, Steve had actually gone down on his knees in front of Tony and held him and well, pigs must be flying, because Tony hadn’t ever thought he’d see Captain America on his knees. </p><p>He’d never thought he’d see <em>Steven Grant Rogers</em> attempting to meet him on equal ground and similar footing much less kneeling at his side and offering comfort but then again, <em>this </em>Steve wasn’t really Captain America, was he?</p><p>“Ever since Thor arrived on Earth and his bratty fucking brother followed him, it’s generally accepted that worm holes are passages, doors between realms or universes or whatever we want to call them.” Tony kept reciting facts, knowledge, filling the silence with things he knew to be true so he wouldn’t linger too long on all the<em> what if’</em>s. </p><p>Everything was absolutely crazy right now but he was still Tony Stark, still a genius, he’d built computers as a damn toddler and took MIT by storm before he was even legal to drink. He could <em>handle </em>the science behind going into a wormhole above the Stark tower and coming out the other side into–</p><p>– into <em>this</em>. </p><p>“Even the ancient Greeks thought there were parallel or at least alternate universes.” Tony breathed in and then out, in and then out. “And then Schrodinger said hey, maybe it’s not parallel, maybe they are simultaneous and that makes sense in a quantum sort of way. Simultaneous universes. I went through the door out of my universe and into a door to a different one and this is all happening at the same time everything is happening back home.” </p><p>“That makes sense.” He told himself again, and it made sense to Tony’s rational brain but it sure didn’t make sense to his emotions or his heart or his <em>instincts </em>that kept telling him to settle down and enjoy the change and to stop asking questions.</p><p>Now was not the time for his slightly hedonistic tendencies to make an appearance. Just cos he might be in an alternate, simultaneous reality with two figments right out of his unrealized wet dreams didn’t mean Tony should just lay back and accept it, right? </p><p><em>Right</em>?</p><p>“Good morning, beauty.” </p><p>A part of Tony felt like he should be annoyed that neither Steve nor Bucky gave anything other than a warning rap at the door before they walked in. It was very <em>Dom </em>behavior, very ‘we do what we want in our house’ behavior and sure, that was valid but he still felt like he should be annoyed. </p><p>But the thing was, he <em>wasn’t </em>annoyed. Even with the questions swirling round in his mind and the facts that didn’t add up enough to ease the incredulity of the situation, Tony wasn’t <em>annoyed </em>when Bucky came in holding a cup of coffee and a donut in one big hand, and he definitely wasn’t annoyed by the pleased smile on the brunettes face when he saw Tony sitting up already. </p><p>Nope, not annoyed. Instead Tony was thrilled and exhilaration ran <em>hot </em>through his body when the Dominant set everything down and reached over to brush at his cheek, to tangle in his hair for a few seconds before letting go. </p><p>“How are you, baby doll?” </p><p>“Better than yesterday.” Tony’s breath hitched when Bucky pulled away, and the Dom nodded in understanding before sitting down next to him on the bed, budging up close until they were thigh to thigh and shoulder to shoulder. “Shit. Thanks. That’s um– that’s good.” </p><p>“Sure thing, sweet thing.” Bucky answered easily. “Anytime you need me, you just let me know okay? M’more than happy to sit here with you like this. Need me closer?” </p><p>“No I think–” the Dom let his hand rest heavy and warm on Tony’s thigh and a ball of tension released in his chest, leaving him loose as he sagged into Bucky’s shoulder. “God, that’s good. <em>Thank you.</em>” </p><p>“I’ve got you.” Bucky was quiet a moment, then cleared his throat. “Listen, Tony. You don’t have to tell us much of anything about your past if you don’t want, not right now and not even really anytime soon. But for our own safety and out of respect for anyone who holds your contract, I gotta ask. Are you not wearing a collar by choice, or because of something <em>else</em>?” </p><p>“A collar.” Tony was a quick thinker, fast on picking up cues, faster with formulating bullshit and once he glanced at the thick ring on Bucky’s finger that matched what Steve wore, it took all of three seconds for him to realize that <em>here </em>Dominants wore rings and submissives… well submissives must wear collars. </p><p><em>Ownership</em>, right? Submission and control, collars and rings.</p><p>And if Tony wearing a collar was a normal, <em>expected </em>thing then that meant most people identified as either sub or Dom which meant society was more than likely built on constructs along the same lines which meant Tony had either hit his head <em>really </em>hard or the world was suddenly tilted or alternate or–</p><p>–or oh fuck, <em>parallel</em>. Wormholes and parallel places and new realities <em>oh my.</em> </p><p>“I am not wearing a collar by choice.” he finally said, slowly and carefully as he thought about the easiest way to answer the unexpected question. “Not really my style. I don’t uh– don’t have any other reason to not be wearing one. Nothing–” a quick glance at the Dom to read his expression and Tony finished, “– traumatic. Just by choice.” </p><p>“Okay. Good job, thank you telling me.” Bucky picked up Tony’s hand and kissed his knuckles and a nearly embarrassing shiver rippled through Tony’s body at the open <em>approval</em>. “I’m sure you know why it’s dangerous for us to have you here if another Dom has your contract. Don’t think you aren’t welcome to stay if you’re in some sorta trouble, but I needed to check before Stevie gets any ideas about keeping you–” </p><p>
  <em>“–keeping me?!” </em>
</p><p>“Don’t interrupt me.” Bucky ordered mildly and just like that, Tony closed his mouth. “Thank you. You’re very sweet. Stevie already wants you to stay, but he always acts on his heart before his brain kicks in so someone’s gotta make sure everything’s alright first. That someone’s always <em>me. </em>You know one time I had to grab him by the damn belt to keep him from leaping out a window after some guy who stole a friends purse?” </p><p>“I um– I fully believe that.” Tony smiled a little. “Yeah, I find that perfectly believable.” </p><p>“Stevie’s heart is good but his impulse control isn’t great.” Bucky smiled too, but it was fond and affectionate and halfway to smitten. “So. You don’t have a Dom then. No contract out there we’ll be prosecuted for breaking or tryna interfere with?” </p><p>“No uh– no contract.” Tony shook his head adamantly. “No Dominant. No.” </p><p>“Okay then.” Bucky pressed at Tony’s hand one more time before straightening up off the bed. “Get dressed and come out to the living room and see what Steve is painting. You need to drink some juice, have some breakfast and then we’ll figure out what to do the rest of the day.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” Tony said automatically and before he could think to take it back or even wonder where the hell it had come from, the Dom’s eyes flickered and a slow smile spread over Bucky’s face. </p><p>“You got no idea how much I love hearing that, sugar.” he whispered and dropped a careful kiss on Tony’s forehead. “Fifteen minutes in the living room.” </p><p>“…yes sir.” it came a little slower this time, but felt no less natural, no less right. “Fifteen minutes.” </p><p>Steve was painting when Tony came out of the bedroom exactly fifteen minutes later, eyes narrowed in concentration as he worked a shade of purple into a canvas covered in blue and grays, brilliant orange in the middle and rolling clouds all around a column and–</p><p>“What is that?” Tony blurted before he could manage to stop himself, before the reminder to not interrupt his Dom–<em> a </em>Dom– <em>this </em>Dom– came to mind. “What are you painting?” </p><p>“Good morning, beauty.” Steve put the paintbrush down and swiveled in his chair to grin broadly at Tony, all focused intent and the sort of happiness Tony had never imagined seeing on Captain America’s face. “How did you sleep?” </p><p>“Really good.” Tony felt the open welcome like sunshine against his skin, and he returned Steve’s smile as big as he could before asking again, “What are you painting?” </p><p>“Don’t you remember a couple of months ago, that freak storm off the coast?” Steve went back to painting, picking up a small brush to dot silver through the lightning bolts. “Right here over Manhattan the weirdest clouds formed and everyone thought it was going to be a tornado and then it did <em>this</em>–”</p><p>He gestured to the painting, to the wormhole that looked an awful lot like the one that had opened above the Stark Tower and unleashed hell on Tony’s version of New York. “– and the conspiracy theorists shrieked about wormholes and portals to different worlds, religious nuts screamed about Armageddon and the Anti Christ.” </p><p>“Scientists decided it just an unusual event caused by rapid storm building and of a funnel cloud trying to form but there not being enough pressure to stabilize it or something like that.” Bucky interjected, pushing a cup of orange juice into Tony’s palm and not backing away until Tony took an obedient sip. “But Stevie thinks it’s a path to a parallel world. A door in the sky.” </p><p>“<em>Really</em>.” </p><p>“Just think about it.” Steve insisted and the other Dom laughed at him, tipped his chin up for a quick kiss and then went to get his coat. “No Tony really! Think about it! Parallel or alternate universes. Simultaneous time lines or like.. mirrored existences. What ever you want to call them, there’s gotta be places out there where everything is the same except for one tiny detail, right? Multiple copies of existence where one thing is changed and that changes the whole world?” </p><p>“Details like what?” <em>Science </em>Steve wasn’t a version Tony had thought to meet but the spark of excitement in the blue eyes sure was adorable. “What sort of things would be different?” </p><p>“Me with a beard, maybe.” Steve said immediately. “Or Bucky as a pirate. Or one where it’s still some medieval time period and we’re knights. Mermaids. Something in space with aliens. One with–” </p><p>“Stevie wants a universe for every one of his Halloween costumes!” Bucky called from the bedroom and Tony hid a laugh behind his hand when the blond Dom finished with a huff, “Or just anything <em>different</em>. That’s my point.” </p><p>“Maybe world where people aren’t designated Dom and sub?” Tony suggested and Steve nodded quickly. “Because that– <em>that </em>would be weird, right? An entire existence where you guys didn’t wear those rings and I didn’t feel like kneeling every time you so much as smile at me?” </p><p>Bucky came back with his coat just in time to hear the comment, and the Doms exchanged a look Tony couldn’t quite read before Bucky asked, “You feel like kneelin’ for us, baby doll?” </p><p>“I uh–” Tony’s hand went to his neck like he was missing something, maybe even something like a <em>collar </em>and Steve’s eyes lit in anticipation. “I um–” he coughed. “Well I think–” </p><p>“Settle, sweetheart.” Bucky murmured after a moment of Tony stammering, and Steve agreed, “No rush, Tony.” </p><p>“Right.” <em>shit</em>. “Thanks.” Tony sat with his juice in the chair Steve indicated, then glanced between them and asked, “Can I know about you two? I feel like you are both… familiar… but I can’t seem to place the names.” </p><p>“You know us from the history books.” Steve began cleaning his brushes and missed the half panicked expression on Tony’s face. “Well not <em>us </em>but our Grandpas are pretty famous in military circles. We’ve got their names and Ma always said we were damn near doppelgangers for Gramps at enlistment age. You remember the old comic books about Captain America and the Howling Commandos?” </p><p>“I’m vaguely familiar with them.” Tony nodded like his mind wasn’t trying to explode. “Yeah.” </p><p>“Remember the stories about plucky sidekick Bucky Barnes?” Bucky added with a rueful smile. “All those comics were based on a super secret unit that kicked some serious Nazi ass back in the day. Captain Steve Rogers and Sergeant James Barnes, fuckin’ rabble rousers where they grew up in Brooklyn, crack shots and All American Heroes once they suited up and shipped out. Those comics were basically propaganda, but hey, whatever helps the war effort, right?”</p><p>“So you are both named after… Grandpa?” Tony guessed. “Carried on the family name and hopefully the honor. But you aren’t soldiers.” </p><p>“Grandpa Steve met and married Grandma Peggy.” Steve nodded and Tony sort of felt like he might pass out. <em>Steve and Peggy got married</em>? “Bucky’s Grandpa married Bonnie and they settled into the same neighborhood. Raised their kids together, and when the kids grew up and moved with their own family, me and Buck were always sent back for the summers.”</p><p>“You know how mowing giant yards with ancient push mowers and painting fences builds character, right?” Bucky rolled his eyes.“All it taught us to was get better at sneaking off to go swimming. That’s when we fell in love too, summer we were fifteen years old. Stevie’s scrawny ass was gorgeous even back then, so I sure I didn’t mind him stripping down to just skivvies to seduce me at the docks.”</p><p>“I wasn’t seducing you at the docks, it was ninety four degrees outside and I didn’t have a bathing suit!” Steve made an offended noise and Bucky only grinned. “Wasn’t like you objected anyway. Weren’t gonna let a thing like ‘Dom’s don’t contract with out a submissive’ stop you from putting a ring on my finger, huh?” </p><p>“Nah, babydoll, I sure didn’t.” Their kiss was packed full of sheer adoration, and maybe Tony should have looked away but somehow he knew it was okay that he was watching. His Doms– er, <em>the </em>Doms wouldn’t be talking about this sort of thing in front of him if they didn’t want him to see how good their love was.</p><p>“I teach art at the college and before Bucky’s accident he worked as the conditioning coach for the football team.” Steve said next, easing back from Bucky’s next kiss slowly. “Now he’s mostly benched but they pay him a hell of a lot to write up strategies and plays and run the try outs.”</p><p>“You’re an art teacher.” Tony repeated, and in some distant part of his mind he wondered why all the things he’d read about <em>his </em>Steve Rogers, nothing ever mentioned that he’d been an artist. <em>Had anybody actually known the guy, or had he gotten lost behind the shield?</em> “And Bucky– how did you get hurt?” </p><p>“Train accident.” Bucky rolled his shoulder and Tony’s eyes dropped to the few inches that were what remained of the Dom’s left arm. “We went upstate for a ten year anniversary celebration, figured we could just cuddle up in the sleeping car and watch the fall foliage roll by, but there was an engine issue and the train derailed. Not too bad of an accident all things considered. Stevie managed to get out with a few bumps and bruises, I ended up losing my arm.”</p><p>“<em>Oh</em>.”</p><p>“I’ve just got a bad track record with trains.” Bucky’s smile was easy enough but Steve’s eyes darkened in remembered pain. “I’m either getting food poisoning on school field trips, or getting stuck in the worst seat possible that time we took one through the Great Lakes.” </p><p>He shrugged. “I’ve got a prosthesis but it’s heavy and makes a weird noise when I try to move my fingers so it’s better off left at home. And since Stevie doesn’t care about the one arm–” Bucky raised his eyebrows and Tony automatically shook his head, he didn’t care about the arm, he couldn’t imagine ever caring about something like that. </p><p>“No harm no foul then.” The Dom shrugged again. “I’ve gotten used to it.” </p><p>“I could help you with a new prostheses if you wanted.” Tony blurted out. “I’m pretty mechanical and I could design something really nice for you. Not a problem.” </p><p>“Maybe another time, sugar.” Bucky winked and Tony blushed a little bit but his mind was already racing, already thinking up schematics and how hard would it be to convert the design of his suits arm pieces into a fully robotic prostheses and whether or not he could get the parts in whatever this version of the universe was…</p><p>“Tell us a little about you, Tony.”  Steve finally covered up the wormhole painting and set it away. “Last name? Where you’re from?”</p><p>“Oh I’m from Manhattan.” Tony said automatically, then corrected, “But I’ve spent the last few years in Malibu, found myself in the uh– Middle East. For a bit. Went to Monaco for a while too. I like to travel and my work in… IT… lets me do that.” </p><p>Both Doms made agreeable noises and Tony took in a quick breath before adding, “Last name is Stark. Tony Stark.”</p><p>His heart stuttered uncertainly when Bucky and Steve exchanged confused looks, and Bucky asked, “Stark. Why do we know that name?”</p><p>“Oh! Maria!” Steve snapped his fingers. “Pepper’s boss! Wasn’t her husband’s last name Stark?”</p><p>“Right, Howard Stark.” Bucky nodded and then looked back at Tony. “Small word huh? You having the same name as Pepper’s old boss? You know who Maria Carbonell is?”</p><p>“Well uh—“</p><p>“No, he wouldn’t, not unless he’s involved in the art community or that scholarship they just set up in Howard’s memory.” Steve decided. “The only reason <em>we </em>know is her through Pepper, I don’t think the <em>Dame </em>Carbonell hangs out with regular IT guys very much.”</p><p>“Who—?” Tony wet his lips, feeling wholly unsteady over hearing several names he hadn’t expected to all in a few sentences. “Who is <em>Pepper</em>?”</p><p>“Pepper Potts.” Bucky supplied absentmindedly, as if the words didn’t make Tony’s heart clench in his chest. “You’ll meet her tonight at the gala. She runs Mrs Carbonell’s art charity auctions and since we’re friends, we all have to show up and pretend to bid on horribly overpriced art we could never afford.”</p><p>“And Pep–” God, Tony could hardly say it. “Pepper works for Mrs. Carbonell? What did you say about Mrs. Carbonell’s husband?” </p><p>“Howard Stark.” Steve confirmed. “Passed away a few years ago, there was big states funeral cos he’d built a bunch of children’s hospitals and came up with a new treatment for leukemia. Pretty big deal. He was a good guy and all of Maria’s money sure made it easy for him to change the world.” </p><p>“Oh yeah?” Tony’s throat closed up and he makes a mental note to look up more about his parents— about the <em>Carbonell-Starks</em>— later when he could do it without wanting to cry. “That’s good, that’s– yeah. That’s good. So this gala thing you’re going to…”</p><p>“Yeah, sorry about that, honey. Pepper books us all a table every year and it makes her look bad if we don’t go.” Steve spread his hands apologetically. “Otherwise we’d skip and stay home with you, I promise.”</p><p>“Oh I’ll be fine by myself.“ Despite his reassurance, it made Tony feel <em>warm</em>, safe and maybe even a little cherished to know the Doms would rather stay home with him. It was nice to think he mattered beyond what he could provide a team, beyond what he paid for. He hadn’t contributed a damn thing to Steve and Bucky’s existence so far except drama and they <em>still </em>wanted to stay home with him. </p><p>“I’ll be fine.” he said again, and tried not to sound like he hated the idea. “I’ll probably just sleep.”</p><p>“You’ll come with us.” It wasn’t so much a suggestion as it was an <em>order </em>and even Steve looked briefly surprised at Bucky’s tone. “We always have an extra seat in case Clint manages a date, but this year you’ll have it.”</p><p>“…Clint.” <em>No way</em>. “And who is Clint?” </p><p>“You’ll meet everyone tonight.” Bucky shoved his keys into his coat pocket “But Clint’s the only other sub in our group of friends, so you two will get along fine. Stevie, take Tony shopping for new clothes, I think Pep said the theme was red and gold? Make sure you get the right colors.” </p><p>“Yeah, Buck.”</p><p>“I love you.” Bucky pressed a long kiss to the other Dom’s mouth then squeezed at Tony’s hand. “I’ll see you both soon, I want you home before four thirty so we have time to get ready together.”</p><p>“Yes sir.” Tony said, and then, “Oh wait, I have money. I can buy my own things.” <em>…so long as the presidents are the same…?</em> </p><p>“We’ll buy your clothes.” Steve waved him off. “Don’t worry about it.” </p><p>“No seriously, I’m pretty sure I have enough to—“ Steve’s eyebrows about met his hairline when Tony started to argue and he nearly choked on the words as his throat closed up. </p><p>
  <em>Note to self, it’s basically biologically impossible to argue with <strike>my </strike> a Dominant. </em>
</p><p><em>Further note to self, I don’t </em>want <em>to argue with my Dom. </em></p><p>“I mean, you don’t have to do that.” Tony tried again. “I have money and I don’t need a chaperone to shop. I don’t want to cause any trouble.” </p><p>There, <em>there’s </em>a sentence he’d literally never said in his life.</p><p>“You’re no trouble ever, Tony. And we can afford to take care of you, so we will.” Damn Steve was <em>Dominant </em>and a thrill of pleasure raced down Tony’s spine. “And you don’t want to be alone, so I won’t leave your side.”</p><p>“Is it… <em>obvious </em>I don’t want to be alone?” By habit, Tony’s hand went to his hair to make sure it was in place, to his clothes to smooth them down. What had happened to his armor, to his persona, to his <em>Tony Starkness</em>?</p><p> “Sugar, it’s all right there in your eyes for anyone who cares to look.” Bucky said quietly. “You need to be held, you don’t want to be alone, and you’re just about desperate for someone to take care of you. And anyone who misses out on what a pretty sub like you needs is a damn fool.”</p><p><em>Oh</em>.</p><p>“We don’t plan on being a fool bout you, Tony.”</p><p>Oh <em>there </em>was his armor, crumbled in pieces on the floor along with the rest of his misgivings about this world.</p><p>“… yes sir.” Tony whispered faintly. “I– yeah. You could take me shopping.” </p><p>And Bucky only smiled over at Steve, then leaned in to kiss the beautiful sub gently gently. </p><p>“Good boy.” </p><p>************</p><p>************</p><p>Tony had made a point of not really walking next to Steve back in New York–er, back in <em>his </em>New York. It wasn’t that the super soldier had made him feel small, which was sort of true, or that <em>that </em>particular Steve had a way of talking that made you feel looked down on, which was also true, or even that Tony had some small man complex he couldn’t seem to overcome and Steve made it obvious. </p><p>No, Tony had made a point of not getting too close to <em>that </em>Steve because even though Captain America had long been his hero, there’d been a part of him that always resented the bastard for swooping in and stealing all of Howard’s interest years before Tony had the chance to try for <em>himself</em>.</p><p>He’d never measured up to Steve in Howard’s eyes, never was the man Captain America had been, hadn’t shown the courage <em>tiny </em>Steve Rogers had showed by being willing to do everything for his country. </p><p>Tony hadn’t ever measured up, and he’d been born already losing at a competition he’d never wanted and walking next to the Captain on the heli-carrier with his disapproving sighs and blatant irritation had brought all those feelings roaring back to the surface. </p><p>Forty something years old and Howard still managed to make him feel like <em>shit</em>. </p><p>But walking next to <em>this </em>Steve felt good. The big blond was so Dom– and okay, the word was a little weird on Tony’s tongue but the more he thought it, the better it felt. Steve was so <em>Dom </em>that people parted when they walked down the sidewalk, the other submissives batted their eyes lashes and touched neutral white collars at their neck in an open flirt. </p><p>In some cases, the bolder submissives touched royal <em>blue </em>collars which Tony quickly figured out meant they were contracted. And judging by the jealous and almost angry looks the ring wearing Dominants cast their way, the flirting submissives were carrying on right in front of their partner and… well <em>yikes</em>. </p><p>But not all looks their way were angry, more than once a passing Dominant’s eyes slid to Tony’s neck and eyebrows raised over the lack his collar before an encouraging smirk tilted their lips. The third or fourth time it happened Steve simply cleared his throat and slipped an arm around Tony’s waist, met the next Dom’s eyes head on and tipped his head back in a clear challenge.</p><p>The Dom put a hand over his heart in what Tony could only figure was a show of respect, and moved right on. </p><p>“I don’t mind them staring.” Tony said softly once it was just them again. “It’s weird that I don’t wear a collar, of course they would look. It’s fine.”</p><p>“Dominants know better than to leer at another Dom’s sub.” Steve answered lightly, but his grip at Tony’s side tightened. “Doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a collar or not. You’re at my side, they need to respect that.” </p><p>And then after a moment, “Can’t say I blame ‘em though, I’d stare if a sub like you was walking around uncollared. Can’t help but hope.” </p><p><em>Can’t help but hope</em>. It was clear approval from the Dom, a compliment on Tony’s looks and apparently how good of a sub he was and Tony had to swallow the urge to practically <em>purr</em>, so he coughed and changed the subject. </p><p>“So you and Bucky. Both Doms but contracted together.” </p><p>“Why do you ask?” Steve steered Tony into a store that looked and felt and was designed like Macy’s but just wasn’t quite Macy’s. <em>Parallel universes, amiright?</em></p><p>“Just cos sometimes you seem a little–” Tony searched for the right word so he wouldn’t offend the Dom unintentionally. “–I mean it seems like Bucky is a little more–” <em>don’t say subby</em>. “– Are you a switch?” </p><p>There, that was a word Tony remembered from his brief and less than satisfying foray into the Dom/sub scene back home. <em>Switch</em>. </p><p>“Are you a switch?” he asked again. “Because the way you are with Bucky sometimes…” </p><p>“In the most technical sense you could say I was a switch.” A firm hand at the small of Tony’s back had him turning towards the dress clothes. “But I’m all Dom, Tony. Even when I was tiny and scrappy, I was a Dom. Even years after contracting with Bucky. What I do with Bucky has nothing to do with my biology and everything to do with the ways we need each other sometimes.” </p><p>“So…” Tony stopped when Steve did, and tapped at a shirt in his size so the Dominant could pick out an appropriate color. This wasn’t really new, Pepper had always picked out all his clothes so it wasn’t even a <em>submissive </em>thing to let Steve do the shopping, more of a fully bored with clothes thing. “So you are both Doms but you sub for him occasionally?” </p><p>“When one of us needs it.” </p><p>“Does Bucky ever need to sub?” </p><p>“No.” Steve held up two shades of red and then tossed the lighter one aside. “He needs submission, some times I need to submit. Two different needs that we can fill for each other because we love each other. We complete each other.” </p><p>“Huh.” Tony’s heart sank a little and he tried not to think about <em>why</em>. “So um–”</p><p>“You’re asking because you don’t see how you would fit into our lives.” Steve stated rather than guessed and Tony blinked at him in surprise. “You don’t see how a full submissive like you could compete with the bond Bucky and I already have, and if I’m willing to be submissive every once in a while, you don’t see why you’d be needed.” </p><p>“Well I mean…” Tony let the words trail off into a helpless gesture. He <em>had </em>thought about how he would fit in with these two Dominants, how he’d fit into all the dynamics of this world, but Steve made it sound like he and Bucky had already decided Tony fit just fine. </p><p>And that was– that was nice but it was also a matter for maybe later cos right now all Tony could think about was <em>his </em>version of Steve and how tortured the Captain had seemed, how withdrawn and tense like he couldn’t even breathe. </p><p>If his universe’s Steve and Bucky had been more like this Steve and Bucky and not Cap and Sarge like all the propaganda said, maybe that’s why Steve had seemed like he was grieving, why he was cold and distant. </p><p>Bucky balanced him, <em>saved </em>him, gave him the freedom to just be <em>Steve </em>and then the Captain woke up and didn’t have anyone. </p><p>Steve hadn’t had <em>anyone </em>and Tony had Rhodey and Pepper but he’d began pulling away from them too, losing himself in Iron Man and the spiraling reality he’d flung himself into and maybe <em>that’s </em>why Steve had picked up the shield again, maybe it was the same reason Tony had flown up and up into the wormhole and thought dying would be easy because after losing everything and feeling like your grasp on reality was slipping, maybe <em>dying </em>was the easiest thing to do.</p><p>Maybe Captain Rogers had picked up the shield hoping this time would be the last time.</p><p>“Easy easy.” Tony didn’t realize he’d gone sad and <em>quiet </em>until Steve was cupping his jaw and leaning in to press their foreheads together. “Settle down, sweetheart. Come back to me.” </p><p>“I’m– I’m here.” Tony grabbed on to Steve’s wrist and squeezed and the Dom breathed out a pleased sigh. “Sorry, I just–” </p><p>“You don’t have to be sorry.” Steve shook his head. “Just come back to me. Tell me what you were thinking.” </p><p>“I was thinking–” <em>about you. About Bucky. About my other life. About Pepper and Rhodey and how I’d been so willing to die because I knew everything would be fine without me.</em> “I was thinking about how hindsight is twenty twenty and wishing I’d seen a few more things before it was too late and–” </p><p>“Grandma Pegs always said that just cos hindsight is clear doesn’t mean we have to feel guilty about the things we didn’t see.” The Dom was so <em>solid</em>, and Tony leaned in further, let the blond take his weight. “Don’t tell me you’re feeling bad bout something? Not now baby, not when we’re havin’ fun together.” </p><p>“No, no it’s just–” </p><p>“Never mind, then.” There was a layer of <em>steel </em>in Steve’s voice that settled the issue, no room for argument, no need to explain and for once in his life Tony didn’t take the chance to argue, to insist on finishing his point. </p><p><em>Written right in your eyes for anyone who cares to look</em>, Bucky had said and maybe it meant that instead of seeing hesitancy as weakness like Howard had, like the press had, like <em>Obadiah </em>had, maybe Steve saw Tony’s hesitancy as uncertainty and a little bit of fear and a whole lot of regret. </p><p><em>Never mind </em>sounded like a brush off from someone that didn’t care but from Steve it sounded like a solution, like a relief, like forgiveness and like a rescue. </p><p>
  <em>Never mind. </em>
</p><p>“Thank you.” Tony whispered and the Dominant smiled and dotted a kiss on his nose before pulling away again. </p><p>“So you’ll meet Pepper and Clint tonight, and you’ll most likely get to meet Thor.” Steve changed the subject and Tony was grateful for it but then his mind skipped to<em> uhhhh what demigod now</em>?</p><p>“Thor?” he asked and incredibly, Steve motioned to a poster hanging in the men’s underwear section and yep, there was <em>Thor</em>. Big as life and damn near naked, hair in intricate braids to his waist and arms tattooed up in Nordic designs, an axe slung over his shoulders and a hammer sized bulge in his barely there briefs and…and… <em>honestly </em>what in the hell?</p><p>“Yeah, we met him at our gym and became friends.” Steve went back to picking out shirts for Tony. “But then someone took a picture of him working out and next thing we know he’s getting modeling contracts offered from a bunch of different companies and now I can’t even buy socks without having an almost naked Thor grinning at me.” </p><p>“What– how– I–I–” Tony didn’t want to be gaping at the God of Thunder’s thighs but he also didn’t really want to stop. “You’re friends with him?” </p><p>“You know, Bucky gives me hell when I look at Thor’s posters too long, wait till he hears you prefer your Dom’s lumberjack-y too.” Steve cracked a grin and for the first time in a very long time, Tony blushed scarlet clear to his ears. “I think you’ll have to settle for clean cut and All America with us, sweetheart. We don’t channel Viking God Wood Cutter <em>quite </em>as convincingly.” </p><p>“It’s the hammer.” Tony said faux seriously. “It really emphasizes his um– his personality.” </p><p>“That’s what I tell Bucky!” Steve crowed and Tony laughed out loud and <em>Steve </em>laughed out loud and it was the first time Tony had laughed in so long he’d almost forgotten how good it felt. </p><p>But then the Dom hooked an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in with a murmured, “Pretty sub, your laugh is gorgeous.” and <em>oh </em>suddenly that was much better than just laughing. </p><p>“I like your laugh too.” Tony admitted, realizing first that he’d never heard Captain America laugh, and second that Thor’s <em>hammer </em>was making him feel ridiculously subby for entirely un-Dom related reasons. “But we should move on before I consider going to dinner with Thor and not you and Buck.” </p><p>“The hell you will.” Steve was still grinning but his eyes sparked possessively, and his hand slid down to clasp the back of Tony’s neck. “We aren’t letting you go, sweetheart. Not any time soon.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” Tony breathed and the Dom left the softest possible kiss on his lips. </p><p>“Good boy.” </p><p>**************</p><p>**************</p><p>“This shirt looks great on you.” Bucky finished buttoning up his own dress shirt and then moved to finish doing up Tony’s too. It seemed so natural for the Dom to help that Tony didn’t even blink when Bucky pushed his hand away and threaded the buttons himself one handed. “I like the gold stripes baby doll, makes your eyes sparkle real pretty.” </p><p>“Yeah, Steve said it was the best one.” Too focused on breathing in the Dom’s cologne and studying the fine lines in Bucky’s brow, Tony forgot to cover his chest and when Bucky’s breath caught sharp and <em>stunned</em>, he realized his mistake. </p><p>“Oh wait–” he made a belated movement to cover the thin material of his undershirt and the scars showing beneath, but Bucky shook his head and raised his voice, “Steve? <em>Stevie</em>!” </p><p>“Hey, what’s the matter?” Tony had only a moment to internally laugh about how even <em>this </em>Steve preferred to wear red white and blue before the other Dom was in his space too as Bucky pulled Tony’s undershirt aside to show him the scars. “Sweetheart, what <em>happened</em>?” </p><p>“I got hurt.” Tony waited for the old defensiveness to rise up bitter in his throat, the shame and embarrassment that followed anytime anyone got an inadvertent look at his chest. </p><p>Sure without the arc reactor he didn’t look quite so <em>alien </em>but there was no denying he’d been torn apart and sloppily stitched back together. The scars were thick and still raised after a few years, scattering out across his sternum like shrapnel, centered ugly over his heart where the damage had been the worst.  </p><p>It was ugly and he waited to get defensive or want to curl up and hide but it– it didn’t happen. Tony didn’t feel the need to run, or cover up or even <em>explain </em>because Steve wasn’t staring at the scars he was staring at <em>Tony</em>, searching his eyes for– for something and apparently finding it because the big blond murmured hoarsely, “Oh no, honey. Oh, I’m so sorry.” </p><p>“Damn sugar.” Bucky swallowed hard and held onto Tony’s shirt tight while Steve spread a careful hand over the scars. “Looks like someone broke your heart real bad, huh?” </p><p>“…you could say that.” </p><p>“Don’t worry.” the Dom finished softly,. “We’re never going to let that happen again. You’re safe with us. Promise.” </p><p>“Okay.” Tony closed his eyes and leaned into the warmth of Steve’s palm, stuttered through an uncertain breath when Bucky kissed his temple.“…okay.” </p><p>****************</p><p>****************</p><p>“Bucky! Steve!” </p><p>Somehow, Pepper was even <em>more </em>gorgeous in this universe, every inch as perfectly put together as always, hair like sunset and eyes like emeralds and a smile Tony hadn’t realized how much he missed until it was fully focused on him as Pepper gave him a quick once over. </p><p>“My oh my, Clint will be thoroughly jealous you two managed to bring the prettiest date in the city!” Pepper touched the ring on her finger that marked her as Dominant– honestly, no surprises there– and then raised her eyebrows pointedly at Bucky and Steve. “Introduce me and allow me to say hello?” </p><p>Tony had never heard Pepper ask for permission a day in her life, in fact lately it had seemed like <em>he </em>was the one asking permission for things and being told lovingly, exasperatedly, “<em>No, Tony</em>.”</p><p>He’d never heard her ask for permission and he expected it to sting like a bolt to the chest to see the woman he loved up close and in person in <em>this </em>place, to see her in a world where he didn’t exist and she was apparently thriving, stunning and smiling and Tony expected it to <em>hurt</em>. </p><p>But it didn’t, because nothing about the last few days had hurt in the least, so when Bucky and Steve both wrapped an arm around his waist and tugged him in, Tony only smiled and waited for the introduction of, “This is Tony and he is with <em>us</em>. Sweetheart, this is Pepper Potts.” </p><p>“Tony.” Pepper didn’t reach to shake his hand or move to kiss his cheek like <em>his </em>Pepper had done so many times before. Instead she put her hand over her heart and dipped her head in acknowledgment, and since Tony had seen a collared submissive do the same as they’d walked through the doors, he inclined his head as well.</p><p>Steve turned into kiss his temple and murmured, “Good boy. Thank you.” while Bucky just smiled in approval and Tony tried not to flush from the praise.</p><p>“Lovely.” the pretty Dom decided, talking to Steve and Bucky again, though she sent a thoroughly smitten look Tony’s way. “Absolutely stunning in fact. What a darling submissive. Tony, if your Doms allow it, I’d very much like to sit near you at dinner, I think the two of us could be great friends.” </p><p>“I think the two of us could be great friends too.” Tony echoed and Pepper’s smile stretched wide and <em>gorgeous </em>before she saw someone else she knew and with a quick wave, hurried away on those sky high heels.</p><p>“She’s nice.” the sub whispered thickly. “Have you known her long?”</p><p>“We used to be neighbors in the same apartment building.” Bucky explained as he pointed out their table. “Worked the same schedule so half the time we got home all together. She works with the art foundation so she spent some time at the university and since we were neighbors she made sure Steve’s department got extra money.” </p><p>“She’s not usually this stiff either.” Steve pointed out. “Real rich folks tend to hold onto all the Old World dynamics like not talking to subs and being formal with Doms and even though we attend this stuff every year, it still weirds me out.”  </p><p>“Once she gets to the table with everyone, she’ll settle down though.” Bucky pulled out Tony’s chair and motioned for the sub to sit, then pulled out a chair for Steve too. “The menu is set for tonight but I’ll get you both drinks. Tony, water to start and then you can have whatever you’d like.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” </p><p>Water was a good choice, because Tony would have actually died inhaling straight whiskey when Thor showed up at their table complete with booming voice and eyes that still flashed like lightning and a suit that cost at least three thousand dollars stretched across impossibly wide shoulders. </p><p>And then there was Natasha, as wicked and mysterious as always in a dress more leather than cloth, the ring on her finger carved into a black widow’s hour glass. In this place she ran both a club for Dom’s looking for a night of anonymous release, and a safe haven for submissives who needed a place to stay and judging by the <em>looks </em>she got from both Doms and subs alike as she crossed the room, the redhead was well known for it too.</p><p>“We’re pretty sure she’s killed bad Dom’s before.” Steve muttered under his breath while Tony tried hard not to stare as the intimidating Dominant burst out laughing at whatever Thor said. “They come to her club, next thing we know a submissive is at a safe house and a Dominant with a history of abuse has gone missing.” </p><p>“No one does anything about it?” Tony whispered and the Dom whispered back, “Would you?” </p><p>Tony shook his head and Bucky picked up his hand to kiss his knuckles, and the conversation moved on. </p><p>Clint was a submissive, hilarious and sweet, blond and <em>gorgeous </em>and came running around the table and dodged Steve and Bucky to shove a kiss right onto Tony’s lips, bending down from a shocking height of nearly six foot four and then laughing when Tony tapped curiously at the polka dot band-aid at his nose. </p><p>“Yeah, I’m not one of those pretty, graceful submissives like you are.” Clint shook his hand animatedly. “I walked into a door at Tasha’s the other day, she needs to stop making things to her height, damn Dom is practically an elf.” </p><p>Natasha laughed and then snapped her fingers and Clint dropped into the seat right next to her, clearly happy with the woman he’d chosen as <em>his</em>, and Tony couldn’t help cataloging all the behaviors, all the same patterns and jokes and the way this Natasha and Clint acted like his Natasha and Clint and <em>hindsight</em>–were <em>his </em>two in love too? </p><p>Bruce Banner looked all the same, but he had to stop and sign autographs as he crossed the ball room and once again Tony was grateful for water when Bucky casually mentioned, “Doc has got something crazy like seven Ph.D’s but on the weekends he does that theatrical wrestling, you know? You ever heard of Doctor Hulk? That’s him when he’s not in the ring.” </p><p>“Doctor Bruce Banner wears tights and unitards and does scripted TV Wrestling on the weekends.” the sub said doubtfully. “<em>Really</em>?” </p><p>“Doctor Hulk!” someone called and Bruce turned and flexed, growled “Hulk Smash!” and that corner of the room erupted into laughter. </p><p>“<em>Oh my god</em>.” </p><p>But then there was <em>Rhodey</em>, and real tears came to Tony’s eyes when Steve introduced him as “Colonel James Rhodes, formerly of the United States Air Force, currently one of the top stunt pilots in the world and <em>clearly </em>the snappiest dresser among us.” </p><p>“Yeah yeah, shut the hell up.” The Colonel set down a flamboyantly decorate helmet, then raised his arms to show off his obnoxiously patriotic uniform. “I had to fly here from Vegas after a show and since Pep’s already gonna have my head for not wearing the color theme, maybe you don’t test my patience, <em>Stevie</em>.” </p><p>
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    <b><a href="https://t.umblr.com/redirect?z=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fbfile2ijvc621.jpg&amp;t=YmQ4ZGUwNWZlMmI1YmJhYThlMTFiYjY0NzYwMGY2MTA1MjRlNTVmMyxiZzB5eEVObQ%3D%3D&amp;b=t%3AlxVlia9KThZQR8SGTEVLzw&amp;p=https%3A%2F%2Fnot-close-to-straight.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F620362437986795520%2Ffalling-chapter-two&amp;m=1">{Rhodey’s outfit, Courtesy of Oceans 13 ‘Basher’</a> because I just couldn’t help myself}</b>
  </em>
</p><p>“Aw c’mon Rhodes.” Bucky leaned back in his chair and grinned. “I think those leather pants look right nice on you.” </p><p>“Better on my ass than yours, Bronco.” James shot back, and then with a look towards Tony, “Well well. This one looks like trouble.” </p><p>“You don’t even know me!” Tony protested past the lump in his throat and the Dom retorted teasingly, “Yeah but you’re sitting between these two! <em>Trouble</em>!” </p><p>Everyone jeered and hollered and joined in on the ribbing and Tony sat back and let it all wash over him. </p><p>He’d never had this, never had so much fun with the group of people called the Avengers. He had never hurt himself laughing over Clint’s jokes or seen Pepper blush the way she did when Natasha accused James of stealing the pants from Pepper’s closet, and when Tony slipped up and called the Colonel <em>Rhodey</em>, Thor slammed his whiskey glass downed and boomed, “He shall be called Rhodey!” </p><p>The evening was noisy and the evening was <em>fun </em>and Tony’s mouth hurt from grinning, his eyes hurt from blinking back tears every time Rhodey got snarky and Pepper sighed in exasperation, and every time Steve or Bucky leaned in to whisper in his ear Tony let himself slip a little closer to their sides until he was surrounded by warmth. </p><p>“Are you alright, sweet thing?” Bucky asked when the final course was cleared and dessert showed up at their table. “I know this group can be a lot, and it’s been a tough few days for you.” </p><p>“No.” Tony whispered. “No, this is fine, this is <em>fine</em>, I’m okay.” </p><p>And it was okay, because everything about this evening was <em>amazing</em>. </p><p>This was Tony’s entire world right here at the table. Things were a little different sure, but all the best parts were <em>here </em>and more importantly, all the best parts of his entire world were smiling and talking and teasing each other and teasing <em>him. </em>The world wasn’t ending via wormhole and aliens and Pepper wasn’t crying because of Tony again, Rhodey was trading stunt pilot stories with Clint who was apparently <em>circus</em>-y in this world and Thor was tossing back shots with Natasha and Bucky and Steve…</p><p>…well Steve’s hand never left Tony’s thigh, rubbing warm and solid circles just firm enough to let him know he was <em>there</em>. And Bucky wove his fingers into Tony’s hair then let his palm rest heavy at the base of Tony’s neck and the sub didn’t even have to think for a second about dropping his head back and closing his eyes. </p><p>Tony missed the knowing looks around the table when Steve pressed a kiss to his pulse point, he missed the way Pepper smiled in approval when Bucky bent close to whisper how <em>good </em>Tony was being in a hushed sort of tone meant for lovers, meant for partners, meant for Doms and subs.</p><p>”You wanna go home, sweet thing?” Bucky murmured and Tony shook his head. </p><p>“Not yet.” he covered Steve’s hand with his own where it rested on his leg. “No this is fun, I don’t want to leave yet.” </p><p>“We’ll stay as long as you want.” the other Dom decided. “So long as you’re happy, honey.” </p><p>“I’m happy.” Tony looked around the table again, lingering on Clint’s blond hair and Bruce’s sort of hilariously high pitched laugh now that he was four drinks in. “Yeah. This is good. I don’t want to leave.” </p><p>Bucky kissed his cheek and went back to talking with Thor, Steve signaled for another round of drinks and moved to wind his arm around Tony’s waist and Tony sat there and drank it all in…</p><p>…and kept thinking if he could design <em>heaven</em>, maybe it would look an awful lot like this right here.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>TW for Character Death but like… not really cos we know where Tony is. Also Tissues because I cried outlining Rhodey’s speech, and then again rough drafting it, and then again editing it…good times. </p><p>Also I already have so many ideas for expansions of this verse ughhhh</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>MCU-verse</em>
</p><p>“A few days ago, the world as I knew it changed forever.” </p><p>The cathedral went quiet as Colonel James Rhodes took to the podium, serious and somber in his dress uniform, eyes red and hands shaking as he looked down at his notes. </p><p>“I don’t mean because of the wormhole over New York, though that certainly changed my mind about a lot of things I’d never thought to consider true.” the Colonel cleared his throat once, twice, darted a glance first towards Pepper sat off to the side and then to the casket sat closed and <em>heavy </em>on the platform below. </p><p>“One week ago, my entire world changed when my best friend re routed a bomb out of Manhattan and took it straight into the sky. Through the damn wormhole and into the other side without even hesitating cos he knew it would save us.” James had to stop again, let his voice crack and he heard Pepper start quietly crying. “Tony um– Tony was Iron Man. He was a hero from the minute he put on that suit to the minute he–” </p><p>The podium shook when James gripped at it hard, counted to ten once and then again to give himself time to breathe and to keep reading the speech he’d prepared only last night. </p><p>“Tony was a hero from the minute he put on the suit to the minute he– oh hell, I can’t read this.” Rhodey put the cards away and scrubbed at his eyes until they stung. “Can’t read a speech about Iron Man when it’s my best friend– my best friend laying over there, I can’t–” </p><p>Another deep breath, another quiet cough to clear the tears from his throat and James began again, stronger this time. </p><p>“Tony Stark was my best friend. We met at MIT, he was basically five and a half feet of pure disaster and I knew I was in trouble the minute he showed up and tried to claim top bunk. Tony fell right the hell off the ladder and I had to carry his dramatic ass to Health Services because he was sure he broke his ankle.” </p><p>A few chuckles broke out and Rhodey managed a small smile. “He was a disaster that day, and every after that but he was <em>my </em>disaster and my best friend and that’s all that ever mattered.” </p><p>“My favorite memory–” the Colonel closed his eyes again and forced out a breath. “My favorite memory of Tony is actually from a few weeks after we met for the first time. It’s obvious these days how mechanically inclined Tony was but what no one else really knows is that Tony’s first robot was one I built.” </p><p>He tapped at his chest and tried not to sob when his fingers hit his half of a best friends necklace Tony had bought for them one drunk spring break a long long time ago. “I built Tony’s very first robot and the brat actually stole it from me.” </p><p>A few more laughs and Rhodey continued, “I drank all the coffee one day and Tony barged into the robotics class a few hours later screeching about how badly he needed caffeine and I needed to fix it <em>now </em>and then he stopped and stared at just– just the saddest looking robot you’ve ever seen. It was basically a box on wheels with one arm and it never did anything I programmed in so when Tony asked what it was, I said ‘i<em>t’s a damn dummy is what it is, doesn’t do anything right</em>’.“ </p><p>The Colonel pulled an old picture out of his pocket, one of a very young Tony next to that same robot. "Tony was so offended I’d call a robot <em>dummy </em>that he told me I didn’t deserve to have cool toys and that it was his now, I could have it back when I was worthy. Believe me, I didn’t take kindly to having my project stolen and for the rest of college– and honestly the next thirty years– I tried damn hard to get that robot back. It was like a heist movie, me making plans and Tony thwarting them at every turn, me roping people into the conspiracy and Tony shrieking that I wasn’t worthy and that’s why my plans never worked." </p><p>”…Dum-E is still down there in Tony’s workshop.“ he finished softly. "He wears a dunce cap and carries a fire extinguisher and he’s Tony’s favorite thing in the world. See that’s what no one knew about Tony. Everyone knows Tony was Iron Man and– and a goddamn <em>hero</em>, but he was also sentimental and sort of embarrassingly sappy and when he decided he loved something it was forever and nothing could ever change it.” </p><p>“Dum-E was lucky enough to be something Tony loved. I was lucky enough to be some<em>one</em> Tony loved and it changed my life. Tony changed my life." </p><p>Rhodey put the picture away and looked towards the casket, tears blurring his eyes as he finished,  "I uh– I miss you, Tpnes. Miss you, bud. And I want to keep thinking this is some sort of trick, some sort of prank but I know in my heart–” </p><p>He held tight to his half of the best friends necklace. “–I know in my heart that it– it’s not. And that makes me real sad.” </p><p>Pepper dropped her face into her hands, thin shoulders shaking and James tried hard to smile, to get through these last few words. “So uh– right now I’m gonna go get my robot back. I fully expect JARVIS to have some anti heist protocol that ends with my hair on fire but you know what? I’m gonna try anyway. Rest well, Tony. We miss you.” </p><p>There was polite laughs, some tears dabbed from eyes, a smattering of clapping and James stepped back from the podium to sit by Pepper. "How was that?" </p><p>"It’s exactly what he would have wanted you to say.” she whispered through her hankie, and he wound an arm around her shoulders to hold her tight. “I miss him so much, Rhodey.” </p><p>“I miss him too, Pep.” </p><p>“It’s so stupid.” Pepper blew her nose daintily. “Wishful thinking. But you know, I get the feeling that he’s okay. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like he’s okay. Resting.” </p><p>“Yeah, I know, I keep thinking the same thing.” Rhodey touched the necklace again. “But resting or not, when I get to heaven, I’m kicking his ass for leaving me too soon.” </p><p>“Oh <em>definitely</em>.” </p><p>****************</p><p>****************</p><p>
  <em>Bucky and Steve’s Apartment</em>
</p><p>“Billionaire socialite Maria Carbonell shown here with her husband Howard Stark…” Tony mumbled to himself as he read through yet another article about his mom– or rather, this universe’s version of his mom. “–donated millions to her husbands research to cure leukemia.”  </p><p>“Philanthropist Maria Carbonell opens a school of music for inner city kids.” He kept scrolling, smiling, as he read about Maria changing the world with her money– and it was certainly <em>Maria’s </em>money this time around. Apparently this Howard Stark was an attractive scientist with a sugar mama and in each of the pictures Howard looked absolutely <em>delighted </em>to be accompanying Maria down red carpets, up stairs to national monuments, through the door of yet another awards ceremony for Humanitarian and conservation efforts ranging from restoring museum pieces clear through establishing brand new schools in sorely lacking communities.</p><p>“Howard Stark, husband to Italy’s sweetheart Maria Carbonell passed this morning –” Tony swallowed, pausing in his scrolling. “–at home with his wife. The cause of death is noted as a heart attack, though Mrs. Carbonell is comforted knowing he passed quickly and peacefully into the afterlife. The scientist is lauded for his contributions and research into childhood illnesses and since they had no children of their own, Howard’s personal funds will be diverted into a scholarship fund for MIT. “<em>They are the future, not me.</em>” he is quoted as saying often, “<em>They will turn my first steps into a journey that will change the world</em>.” </p><p>“…bye Dad.” Tony whispered, though the article was dated three years past, though this Howard wasn’t his dad and had led a much different life than the Howard Stark that built Project Manhattan. “I um– I love you.” </p><p>“Maria Carbonell retires to Italy after husband’s passing, ‘<em>I’m content to live out my life with my grand piano and library and wine!</em>’” </p><p>“Maria Carbonell breaks her silence on ex-family friend and advisor Obadiah Stane– “<em>he can rot in prison for all I care, and yes you can quote me on that, I said it, didn’t</em> I?” </p><p>Obadiah… Tony hesitated just a moment before searching for the name, his hand automatically over his heart and his breath coming faster as picture after picture of the man that had been <em>Uncle </em>and then had turned to nightmares filled the computer screen. </p><p></p><blockquote>
  <p>‘<em>Obadiah Stane accused of embezzling millions from Carbonell Foundation’<br/></em></p>
  <p>
    <em>‘Obadiah Stane accused of funneling money meant for prosthetic limb research into smart bombs’<br/></em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>‘Former Carbonell advisor Obadiah Stane egged as he walks to the courthouse, Maria Carbonell shown handing out eggs to crowd’<br/></em>
  </p>
  <p>
    <em>‘Obadiah Stane found guilty of embezzlement and intent to fund terrorists, sentenced to thirty five years in prison’ <br/></em>
  </p>
  <p><em>‘Maria Carbonell laughs in reporters face when asked how she feels about Obadiah Stane</em>’</p>
</blockquote><p>“Oh.” Tony sat back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Jesus Christ.”</p><p>His mom and dad were okay, Howard passed peacefully and Maria sure seemed to be living her best life in her seaside villa in Italy. Obadiah had been caught before he could hurt anyone and was rotting away in a prison cell. </p><p>Last night Tony had got to have dinner with his friends, with his family Pepper and Rhodey and this morning he’d woken up to forehead kisses from both his Doms before Bucky had rolled out of bed for a shower and Steve had gone to start breakfast. </p><p>Captain America was making him breakfast and Bucky had walked past in a towel and his mom and dad were okay. </p><p> This was– everything was–</p><p>“Beauty?” Steve threaded his fingers into Tony’s hair and smiled affectionately when Tony automatically tipped his head back. “What are you doing, you okay?” </p><p>“I’m fine.” Tony pushed the laptop away and let himself sink into the feeling of <em>security</em>, the weight of Steve’s palm on his scalp, the way the blond always smelled like ocean body wash. There was definitely an inside joke there about <em>his </em>Steve being in the water for seventy years and <em>this </em>Steve using ocean mist soap, but Tony kept that to himself and settled a little firmer into Steve’s hold. </p><p>The Dom’s breath caught when Tony opened his neck further, and Steve brushed carefully over Tony’s pulse point, over the curve of his neck where a collar would lay. “Tell me the truth.” he said quietly. “Are you okay?” </p><p>“I’m fine.” Tony said again, and he meant it. “I’m fine and I’m– I’m happy–” </p><p>He hadn’t heard Bucky come in, but the Dom was at his side in an instant, bending low to dot a kiss at Tony’s collarbone and to spread his fingers wide over the patch of scars on his chest. “Sure do love hearing you say that, baby doll. You happy with us?” </p><p>“Mmm…” the lure of <em>falling </em>tingled at the base of Tony’s neck, the urge to slide off the chair and let the Doms catch him on his knees. He was so <em>safe </em>right here, safe and caught in this place beyond– beyond his own world. </p><p>And things were different, sure. Thor was a model which was equal parts hilarious and alarmingly arousing. Clint was tall as hell and Natasha laughed so easily here. Bruce was a professional wrestler and in his free time worked with the Ph.d candidates at the university, Steve was an artist and Bucky was alive…</p><p>…and <em>oh </em>Pepper was so beautiful and so at peace and Rhodey was a stunt pilot in that ridiculous get up and…</p><p>“Sweetheart.” Bucky’s voice was nearly a growl in response to the soft whine Tony gave. “You need us to take care of you? Bring you under real easy? It’s been a few days since your drop, are you ready for more?” </p><p>“We’d take care of you, Tony.” Steve now, whispering the words into Tony’s ear and right into his heart. “Baby I <em>promise</em>. If you’re gonna gift us with your trust and submission we are gonna do everything to keep it. Everything.” </p><p>“Anything, sugar.” Bucky’s big hand closed just lightly over Tony’s throat and he gasped out loud before going loose and pliant, practically whimpering as blue fuzzed at the edges of consciousness, called him in and <em>under</em>. “Don’t need a collar for us to be yours, Tony. If that’s what you want.” </p><p>
  <em>Oh oh oh— </em>
</p><p>"Tony!” A new voice, breaking into their moment as James Rhodes pushed open the door of Steve and Bucky’s apartment and called out for the sub. “Tony! You home? Where are you?" </p><p>Tony snapped out of the near-scene whiplash fast, jolting up in the seat as everything in his body tuned to his best friend’s voice. </p><p>“I’m sorry.” he said quickly, reached to press at both Steve and Bucky’s hands. “I’m sorry, I want–” <em>this. you. falling</em>. “I do, I just– I have to talk to him.” <em>I miss him</em>. “Please?” </p><p>“You don’t need our permission to talk to a friend, Tony.” Steve was quick to reassure him, but the Dom’s blue eyes softened at the request anyway. “We <em>will </em>pick this up after though.” </p><p>Not a question, and not a seconds hesitation when Tony nodded in confirmation. </p><p>“Yes sir. Thank you.” </p><p>Bucky caught him as he left, snagged his wrist and pulled him back for a slow kiss that had Tony seeing stars by the time they parted. </p><p>“<em>Hurry</em>.” </p><p>“Yes sir.” </p><p>James looked thoroughly unimpressed when Tony basically staggered from the bedroom and he looked somehow even <em>less </em>impressed when Bucky and Steve posted up in the doorway to watch. </p><p>“Settle down, boys.” he scoffed. “I’m not gonna steal your sub or snatch him away somewhere wicked when it’s pretty damn obvious he’s halfway to down. Not gonna mess with him, I just need a minute. Quit snarling at me and go have a soda or something.” </p><p>“Rhodey!” Tony laughed out loud and James pulled a face to complain, “You weren’t kidding about calling me Rhodey huh?” </p><p>“Oh no. Not in the least.” </p><p>“I guess I’ll learn to deal.” the other Dom said blandly. “Now come on, I’ve got something to show you down in the truck, I think you’ll like it.” </p><p>”…okay?“ Tony grabbed his jacket and followed Rhodey down the stairs. “What um–” </p><p>“Are those two assholes treating you right?” Suddenly Rhodey was all <em>Dom</em>, straightening his shoulders and lowering his voice and part of Tony wanted to laugh out loud over Rhodey being threatening, but the other part missed having his best friend be protective to the point of moving him to tears. </p><p>“They um–” he coughed lightly. “They’re being great to me.” </p><p>“They’re good guys.” James continued. “Steve’s a little cheesy for my tastes and Bucky always smirks like he’s one breath away from a stupid come-on, but they’re good men and good Dominants but none of that matters if you came outta a shitty situation and can’t handle them.” </p><p>“Well I–” </p><p>“You’re welcome to move in with me.” The elevator doors opened and Tony gaped up at his friend in surprise. “Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want a sub and certainly not one that looks like as much trouble as you do, but you can stay with me and know you’re <em>safe </em>if you don’t want to stay with those goons.” </p><p>“I’d like to stay with the goons.” Tony said faux seriously, and Rhodey finally cracked a grin and winked down at him. </p><p>“I knew you’d say that, but felt like I needed to speak up anyway. Should I give them a shovel talk so you can see how your Doms look quaking in their boots?” </p><p>“Are they scared of you?” </p><p>“Damn straight.” James pushed Tony through the outside doors and down towards the parking lot. “So last night at dinner Steve mentioned you’re into robotics and stuff? Might even try to improve on Buck’s arm?” </p><p>“You could say I’m into robotics.” Tony eyed the tarp covered lump in the back of the truck curiously. “Really got into it in my college days. Why?” </p><p>“Cos I thought you’d get a kick out of this.” Rhodey undid the latch of his truck and pushed away the tarp, lifted down a clunky looking robot that was nothing more than a box on wheels with an arm attached. "I built this thing back a few years ago when I tried to impress some hot scientist who loved the Terminator movies. What do you think?" </p><p>"I um–” Tony stared at the robot, at the paper dunce cap on it’s head and the familiar treads on its wheels. “I–I–” he put a hand over his mouth and tried not to cry. “I um– Well, why– why is it wearing a dunce cap?" </p><p>"Cos it’s a dummy.” Rhodey scowled at the contraption. “Never does anything I tell it to. It wasn’t even cool enough to get me laid. I’m a fighter pilot, a stunt pilot <em>and </em>I build robots and she wasn’t impressed.” </p><p>“She was missing out.” Tony tried to laugh but it came out as a half sob. “You can’t call a robot a <em>dummy</em>, though. That’s just mean.” </p><p>“The hell it is!” </p><p>“Just for that, I’m keeping him.” Tony reached out and straightened the dunce cap tenderly, rubbed at a little bit of grease buildup at the arm hinge. “I’m keeping your robot, Rhodey. He’s mine now. He’s going to live with me.”  </p><p>“THE HELL HE IS!” The Dominant gaped down at him. “You can’t take my robot! You can look at it maybe, but you aren’t about to just walk away with–” </p><p>"You can have it back when you’re worthy of such a cool toy.” the sub stuck his nose in the air and snapped his fingers. “Wake up, robot, you’re coming with me." </p><p>The robot beeped and whirred to life immediately to follow Tony up the path towards the doors and Rhodey groaned, “Of course the stupid thing listens to him. Of course it does.” </p><p>“You’re welcome to try and take him back!” Tony called over his shoulder. “But be warned my interest in robotics extends to booby traps and anti-heist protocols!” </p><p>"Traitor!” The Dom threw his hands up in exasperation. “Tony! I want that thing back! That is my robot and I’m getting it back!”</p><p>“The hell you are!” the sub snapped and if Rhodey wouldn’t have been laughing so hard he might have wondered why he was letting a submissive back talk him so loudly and thoroughly, shouting sass across a parking lot. </p><p>Bucky and Steve were in for a ride with that one. </p><p><em>He was a fan.</em> </p><p>Tony could hear the Dom laughing clear into the building and into the elevator so he waited until the doors had closed before breaking down, falling to his knees and throwing his arms around the scrappy robot. "I’m real glad to see you, bud.” </p><p>Dum-E only beeped and waved his arm around in excitement, and Tony hugged him tighter. “This feels an awful lot like heaven, Dum-e, don’t you think? Mom and Dad are okay and Pepper’s okay and Rhodey and now– now I even have you here and that’s pretty damn perfect.” </p><p>A few more beeps and Tony nodded, pushed his hair out of his eyes and stood back up. “Time to find my Doms, huh?” </p><p>The robot rolled quickly after Tony down the hall to Steve and Bucky’s door, clicking and whirring curiously as Tony led it inside the apartment and then went off to explore the new place while Tony went to find his Doms. </p><p>“Bucky?” he called. “Steve? I’m– I’m home again!” </p><p>“Hey sweetheart.” Bucky looked up and smiled, took his hand off Steve’s thigh to beckon for Tony. “C’mere and see us.” </p><p>“Come here, honey.” Steve tapped his foot a few times and pointed down at the floor and Tony didn’t even hesitate to move, didn’t hesitate to kick his shoes off and stumble towards them on unsteady feet until he could fall to his knees. </p><p><em>Home </em>and it was so easy and so beautiful, Tony gasped out a word that might have been a prayer and his Doms were right there to catch him when he teetered, Steve meeting him there on the floor to hold him, Bucky protective over them both as Tony slid towards the edge of under and <em>falling</em>. </p><p>…Tony used to love falling. He used to love the exhilaration and anticipation, the way his breath stuttered in that split second of <em>flying </em>before gravity took over. He used to love falling into a new habit, falling into a new love, just <em>falling </em>when he jumped from the diving board or the airplane or the rocks he’d climbed on as a child that he thought were so big.</p><p>…Tony used to love falling and when Steve knelt down beside him and pulled him in close, when Bucky lowered his voice to a rumble and ordered his subs to submit, when <em>gravity </em>tugged at Tony’s soul and he let himself slip to the pull of submission and that quiet, secret need to be held…</p><p>… then falling was like coming home. </p><p>Like finding himself. </p><p>Like closing his eyes and letting go. </p><p><em>Heaven</em>. </p>
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